The following is a company-submitted press release and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of School Planning & Management magazine.

AT&T and Franklin University Announce the CBusStudentHack Coding for Community: Health and Wellness Contest

October 2nd, 2015

Columbus, Ohio, —AT&T* and Franklin University today announced the CBusStudentHack Coding for Community: Health and Wellness – a 12-week programming contest for central Ohio area high school students.

The CBusStudentHack seeks to provide Columbus area high school students 21st century skills via computer science education, prepare the students for college and career readiness, solve real world problems and open the doors of opportunity and creativity. To accomplish this, teacher mentors have spent time during the past month learning the ins and outs of Microsoft Touch Develop, the software that the students will use to code and eventually develop their own apps. Teams of 2 to 4 students will participate from the following central Ohio high schools: Gahanna Lincoln, Marburn Academy, Metro Early College, Metro Institute of Technology, New Albany, Reynoldsburg Encore Academy, Reynoldsburg eSTEM Academy, Upper Arlington and Whetstone.

Students met today at Franklin University to kick-off the CBusStudentHack and had the opportunity to brainstorm project ideas, hear from community leaders like Rev 1 Ventures, and learn from keynote speaker Chris Hamrick, founder of Columbus-based creative agency Basecraft.

Through the remainder of the 12-week period, the students will learn Touch Develop to create their apps. The apps must be focused on improving health and wellness and will be judged on software quality, the potential impact on the central Ohio region, execution and creativity. A team of central Ohio area leaders will judge the students’ work, and winners will be announced at a finale event on December 11.

“AT&T's commitment to technology innovation and high school students in central Ohio grows out of our company's $1.6 billion investment in our wireless and wireline networks between 2012 and 2014,” said Adam Grzybicki, President, AT&T Ohio. “By encouraging students in Columbus to learn to code and explore mobile app development we are spotlighting the enormous demand for developers and engineers needed to create the software that will drive our mobile economy.”

"One of the major workforce development questions today is how to fix the tech talent shortage,” said Christopher Washington, Provost and Senior Vice President, Franklin University. “I think Universities and companies need to partner to introduce non-traditional methods to stimulate interest and talent in tech fields. CBusStudentHack is one way that AT&T and Franklin are working together to promote computer science education, prepare high school students for college and careers, and enable them to express their creativity."

“I thank AT&T and Franklin University for bringing this innovative challenge to high school students throughout central Ohio,” said Zach Klein, Columbus City Councilmember. “This contest will provide real-world programming skills, and create new technology-based solutions that will help to improve the lives of people living in our community.”

To learn more please visit the CBusStudentHack website at cbusstudenthack.org and to join the conversation on social media please use the hashtag #CBusStudentHack.